Programme Specification

1. General Information

Award Programme Title Duration Mode of Study

Graduate
Art and Design 30 weeks Full Time
Diploma

Awarding Institution Royal College of Art

Teaching Institution Royal College of Art

Professional Accreditation N/A

Qualifications Framework Level FHEQ 06

Date of most recent validation 17 January 2017

Programme Specification Date 17 January 2017

2. Philosophy of the Programme

The Graduate Diploma Art and Design will prepare students for postgraduate study in Art and
Design. The programme will focus on developing proficiency in the discursive languages and
independent learning methods of art and design and on introducing students to the role and influence
of art and design in the world today.

Students will be immersed in a learning environment that prepares them for study at postgraduate
level; one that is highly interactive and discursive and that challenges students’ perceptions and
exposes them to the culturally diverse world in which they situate their emerging practice.

The course aims to make its participants better informed about the study options available to them as
well as the possible career paths that they might follow beyond graduation. It is divided into two parts,
the first offering a broad based introduction to art and design and the various study options available
in the field together with an introduction to the kinds of learning methods that students are likely to
encounter in the study of art and design.

The second part of the course will enable students to focus in more depth on their chosen area of
study and work towards the preparation of a body of work and portfolio.

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3. Educational Aims of the Programme

The Graduate Diploma in Art and Design aims to:

• advance art and design education by supporting increased access to PG Art and Design
study in a world leading environment supportive of specialist practice as well as
interdisciplinary engagement and debate;
• establish a context that is responsive to local and global concerns and committed to active
engagement and participation in art and design culture;
• support students in the development of a focused portfolio of work that demonstrates their
technical and intellectual aptitude and their capacity for advanced study in Art and Design or
further employment and professional practice;
• introduce an understanding of the interrelationship of practice and theory, and to help
students become informed and conversant with relevant historical and contemporary points of
reference;
• build confidence in students’ abilities to speak and write about their work and to engage in
discursive modes of teaching and learning through listening and interpretation.

4. Intended Learning Outcomes of the Programme

Able
A. Intellectual Engagement
to:
A1. Develop knowledge that furthers their understanding of their chosen discipline

A2. Demonstrate an understanding of historical and contemporary precedents and how they relate
to their developing practice

A3. Demonstrate a working understanding of the principles and methods of independent research

A4. Clearly articulate the intellectual and technical processes involved in the production of their
work

Able
B. Technical Skills
to:
B1. Produce work that integrates independent thought, creativity and technique

B2. Experiment with materials, processes and environments in order to make their ideas tangible
in practice

B3. Display an understanding of the relevant technical skills required for the creation, display and
documentation of their work

Able
C. Professional Development
to:
C1. Manage their time and resources effectively in order to meet their negotiated objectives

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Able
C. Professional Development
to:
C2. Participate as active, thoughtful and responsible members of a community

C3. Define their professional ambitions through self-reflection and familiarity with the creative
economy

5. Programme Structure and Curriculum

Graduate Diploma Art and Design

The Graduate Diploma Art and Design consists of 120 credits benchmarked at UK Framework for
Higher Education Qualifications Level 06. The programme is comprised of two, 15-week blocks of
study (total 30 weeks) and students enter on one of five pathways of study.

A ‘Learning’ module a ‘Portfolio’ module, each 20 credits, run across the length of the programme.
The ‘Art Design and Practice’ module’ at 40 credits is delivered in the first 15-week block and the
‘Independent Art and Design Practice’ module at 40 credits is delivered in the second 15-week block.

Block 1 (15 weeks) Block 2 (15 weeks)

Art Design and Practice Independent Art Design and Practice
40 credits 40 credits

Learning
20 credits

Portfolio
20 credits

The Learning module runs throughout the programme and is designed to enhance students’ ability
to interpret relevant texts as well as to write and to speak clearly about their own practice and Art and
Design more broadly. The module will help students to match skills required for postgraduate
programmes; for example, through verbal interactions, presentations and discussions, written
summaries, reflective, evaluative and critical skills. The module will be delivered in tandem with
practice modules, picking up on the same thematic blocks, so that your existing language knowledge
is studied and then practiced in context.

This Art Design and Practice module will introduce students to the advanced practice of art and
design. Students will have the opportunity to work around structured project briefs or in self-directed
study modes, depending both on their prior learning and their desired future course of study. Those
working in Fine Art oriented ways will generally opt for the self-directed route and those in Design
disciplines for the project route, but this will not always be the case.

In the Independent Art Design and Practice module students will experience a subtle shift from
working somewhat responsively and in relation to broad themes, to a mode of working that will be
more independently determined and focused. Starting from their own brief written at the end of the
Art Design and Practice module, students will work in three, five-week blocks, each culminating in a
group critique of their work, either exhibited or shown in portfolio mode, and involving students and

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staff from each strand of the project.

This Portfolio module runs throughout blocks 1 and 2 of the programme and supports students to
build a digital portfolio designed to gain admission to further study at postgraduate level in Art and
Design study. The module will draw on students’ ongoing learning on the programme to help them to
articulate their practical and theoretical concerns, using text and images, and demonstrating their
own ability as well as their contextual awareness.

6. Learning and Teaching Methods

Tutorials

These occur either by prior appointment or informally between the tutors and their tutees in the studio
workspaces. Subjects discussed can be followed up at regular intervals and will normally relate
closely to the student’s work in progress, leading to discussion about its development and
recommendations for sources of reference and contextualisation.

Seminars

Students are invited to attend seminars that are offered by tutors and visiting lecturers who introduce
current issues or project-related material. The seminar setting of smaller groups of students offers the
chance for participants to engage in a dialogue about the issues being discussed.

Lectures

Lectures will be provided by tutors and visiting lecturers. Lectures generally cater for larger groups of
students and are often followed by seminars where issues can be further discussed and explored.

Technical Support

Technical support is available to help students utilise specialist equipment or tools to experiment with
processes and/ or materials and to help realise project work. On the Graduate Diploma, technical
support will be minimal – students should not expect to receive extensive instruction or upskilling in
areas they may not have yet experienced.

Critiques

Students will be invited to present their work to tutors and peers who ‘critique’ their work to help
further the student’s development.

7. Assessment

General

Regulations for assessment and progression can be found in the College Regulations.

Final Examination

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Assessment at the Royal College of Art is holistic – all assessment items across all four modules of
the Graduate Diploma in Art and Design lead to your final classification.

The assessment for the Portfolio module may also be used to apply for further postgraduate study or
employment.

8. Admissions

Cross-College and Programme-Specific Requirements

Candidates are selected for places entirely on merit and applications are welcomed from all over the world.
The first part of the Entrance Examination consists of an assessment of the application and portfolio of work.
If successful at assessment stage, students will be invited to the second part of the Entrance Examination, a
formal interview with the appropriate admissions board, and for some specialisms, practical tests. The
programme may choose to offer a place without an interview but reserves the right to invite candidates for
interview. Students should be able to meet both the cross-College Requirements and individual Programme
Requirements set out below.

Cross-College Entrance Requirements:

• Entry is based on a high standard of final-year undergraduate work (as reflected in portfolio or degree
classification), or an advanced work of an equivalent level. Applicants’ work must also demonstrate a
maturity and readiness to undertake postgraduate-preparatory studies.

• Applicants must normally have obtained a good relevant undergraduate degree or an equivalent
qualification. The College recognises as an equivalent qualification any degree, diploma, certificate or
other evidence of formal qualification awarded by another university or higher education
establishment where the award is made following the successful completion of a course of at least
three years’ study, the programme of study being open, as a general rule, only to persons holding a
certificate awarded on the successful completion of a full course of upper secondary education. Other
qualifications may be approved, providing that the Academic Board for Concessions and Discipline
(ABCD) is satisfied that the applicant has the ability to pursue the programme of study successfully.

• The ABCD is empowered to make judgements about the extent to which qualifications or experience
gained elsewhere may be accepted in partial fulfilment of its requirements.

• Upon entry to any of the College’s programmes, students should be able to demonstrate:
1. The potential to benefit from and contribute to the programme of study
2. Prior knowledge and experience indicating the potential to achieve the independence necessary
for advanced study in a specialist discipline
3. Respect for cultural differences and such representations in art and design
4. Openness to having ideas and notions challenged by themselves and others
5. Enthusiasm and aptitude to confront the issues to be addressed in preparation for future Master’s
study or a professional career

Programme/ Specialism Requirements:

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• All applicants must evidence a good undergraduate degree in a related subject area and IELTs of 5.5
overall and a minimum of 5.5 in all elements (or equivalent from another approved testing provider).
• We welcome applications from students of all ages, and view both prior academic and professional
experience as valuable.
• Applicants applying to any of the specialisms should also be able demonstrate the appropriate
technical skills required for this level of study.

Fine Art specialism

• Applicants should have a good undergraduate degree in the Fine Arts subject area. Applicants with a
strong degree in other undergraduate fields will also be considered, if the applicant can demonstrate
their suitability to the study of Fine Art at application and interview. Applicants should be able to
demonstrate an original and critical approach to Fine Art as well as an ability to engage with current
theories of art and culture that inform their practice.

Humanities specialism
Applicants should have a good undergraduate degree in an arts or humanities subject. Applicants with a
strong degree in other undergraduate fields will also be considered, if the applicant can demonstrate their
suitability to the study of history of design at application and interview. We encourage the diversity that
different academic backgrounds can bring to the programme. Applicants with a background in art or design
practice are also encouraged to apply. Unlike other specialisms on the Graduate Diploma, applicants do not
need to submit a portfolio as part of the application process for the Humanities specialism. We ask that you
send us a sample of your writing, for example, an essay from your previous studies or a section of your
undergraduate dissertation.

Communication specialism
• Applicants should have a good undergraduate degree in an art, design or humanities subject area.
Applicants with a strong degree in other undergraduate fields, or sufficient work experience, will also
be considered, if the applicant can demonstrate the appropriate intellectual, creative and personal
qualities to engage with the demands of the programme.

Product, Interiors and Spatial Design specialism

• Applicants should have a good undergraduate degree in an art, design or humanities subject area.
Applicants with a strong degree in other undergraduate fields, or sufficient work experience, will also
be considered, if the applicant can demonstrate the appropriate intellectual, creative and personal
qualities to engage with the demands of the programme.

Fashion and Textiles specialism

• Applicants should have a good undergraduate degree in an art, design, textiles or humanities subject
area. Applicants with a strong degree in other undergraduate fields, or sufficient work experience, will
also be considered, if the applicant can demonstrate the appropriate intellectual, creative and
personal qualities to engage with the demands of the programme.

9. Quality Indicators

Refer to the RCA Quality Handbook for more details of the College’s quality and standards
procedures.

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• All academic programmes at the Royal College of Art are revalidated on a six-yearly cycle.
Revalidations involve external subject experts and internal panel members appointed by the
College’s Academic Standards Committee (ASC).
• Programmes are required to submit an annual Review, the primary purpose of which is to evaluate
the experience of students enrolled on both its awards.
• External Examiners are appointed for a maximum of three years to ensure that:
- the academic standard for each award is set and maintained at an appropriate level and that
student performance is properly judged against this;
- the standards of awards are comparable with those of other UK higher education institutions;
- the process of assessment and examination is fair and has been fairly conducted.
• An Internal Moderator is appointed by the Senate on the recommendation of ASC to ensure that
there are appropriate mechanisms in place for the objective assessment of student work and to
ensure comparability of examination practices between programmes within the College.
• Students have the opportunity to provide feedback through regular programme-level meetings (at
least one each year considers the delivery of the programme and the External Examiner report);
and through an annual College-wide student survey. A Student Representative brings forward
issues from programme-level to the President and Vice-President of the Students’ Union in
London who then, where appropriate, present these issues at College committees or to the Senior
Management of the College.

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